Watching From a Distance
by xxAmethystEyesxx
Summary: Hinata has always watched and admired Neji from afar. What happens when she decides to get a closer look? NejiXHinata. Oneshot.


**_"Watching From a Distance_**"

She had always watched him.

Even as a child, from a distance, she would always look at him as he stood beside his father, when he talked to her family with confidence and politeness, while he dodged her father's kunai. Over the years, she watched him change. Grow from small child to tall teenager. Always from a distance. Never revealing herself to him.

Until now, of course.

Hinata pressed her small hands to her cheeks, trying her hardest to suppress the blush on her face. Her blank eyes were glued to his back. She gazed at him silently from the bench near the training grounds, inwardly cheering him on whenever he marked his target perfectly with a kunai, or hit the wood with one of his flawless kicks.

This time, he was aware of her presence. Weeks ago, she had mustered up all her courage and asked to observe his nightly training sessions.

_"T-to help with my f-f-form", _she had said. _"I-it would improve g-greatly if I were to closely watch someone as good as y-y-you."_

With a slight smirk, Neji nodded. His bashful cousin kept her face downcast, but he could see through her bangs that she hid behind all the time. He didn't admit it to himself, but he knew that she had no interest in improving her form.

Mere hours later, she had seriously considered retracting her offer. What if he was suspicious of her? What would happen if he had, in fact, spotted her as she danced to her bedroom, face redder than a chili pepper? She would never live it down.

_No..._ she had thought. She would not allow her admirable cousin to yet again see her crumble under the pressure. Not now would she fail in front of him. Besides, the circumstances could become quite awkward if he caught her spying on him.

_He's so great at this..._

Hinata rested her elbows on her knees at held her head in her hands. With her eyes locked on him, she could see every twist and turn of his body. She could see the muscles in his leg tighten as he swung in for another kick. She could see his white eyes narrow slightly as he prepared to release the kunai. With almost inhuman grace, his arm flew back, his torso soon following as he let the kunai fly. His left leg ground into the floor, the other bent and steady. When he glanced back, the six kunai knives were indented in the tree, forming a circle. Neji breathed in and out, his chest heaving. Sweat poured down his face and mingled with the blood on his arm from a mislead knife. He straightened his figure and turned to face the dark-haired girl sitting behind him.

"That's enough for today, eh?" he asked her softly, trying not to let her see his shaking arm. Hinata, as though snapped back to reality, nodded slightly and looked down. Neji smiled and let out a slight sigh at her bashfulness. He turned and started walking toward the changing room. Hinata's eyes, locked on his cut, followed, and she let out a slight squeak that would have been a polite word of departure, had she the bravery. Neji, not hearing, closed the screen door behind him.

_He's... hurt..._

Hinata squeezed her hands and tried to block out the image of Neji's blood, seeping out of the cut which had punctured his arm-coverings.

She had seen him in battle. She had seen him when he was hurt. He always acted like it was no big deal, but she couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand seeing him hurt. But what would she say if she tried to help him? What would _he_ say? Hinata put her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes.

_He won't even treat it properly_, she thought. _It might worsen! It might become infected!_

Hinata groaned and looked toward the changing room. What was he doing there? Was he examining his wound and thinking of how to heal it? Probably not.

Forcing herself to stand, she slowly and carefully inched toward the door. As hard as she tried, she couldn't hear anything on the other side.

_Neji, you fool. Do you even _know_ how to properly bandage and sterilize a wound? _

Hinata had seen Sakura with her team. Didn't she always offer help to Sasuke, her crush? Didn't she expertly pull out her medical supplies whenever one of her teammates even hinted at being in pain?

Hinata raised her hand to the door, but stopped herself. Would Neji so easily accept her help?

An unfamiliar emotion overcame Hinata.

_Who cares what Neji will say? I like him, don't I? Isn't it my duty to offer assistance, then? _

With newfound courage, Hinata grasped the handle. Knowing she could back down at any moment, she yanked the door open as fast as she could. It flew open, and she braced herself for the impact.

"... huh?"

_N-Neji-kun!_

Hinata's eyes blinked open. Neji was staring at her in surprise. She felt her ears redden.

_I opened the door so suddenly and without warning! He could have been changing! I could have opened my eyes, and he would be there, standing buck-naked in front of me!_

Hinata blushed even more at the mental image of a naked Neji.

Neji continued to stare at her. He had been sitting on the wooden bench, clutching his wound. His back was slouched in pain, and his arm was shaking violently. He was too startled to conceal the thin lines of blood snaking down his wrist.

Hinata's eyes trailed from his face to his arm. It took her brain a few moments to register what was happening. As Neji's shock subsided, he realized what she was staring at, and forced a confident smirk upon his face.

"Please, Hinata-sama, do stop staring. It's hardly worth getting concerned over," he said in his usual, sure tone. Hinata's eyes snapped back to the ground.

"B-but... N-Neji-kun..." her voice trailed off. Neji frowned slightly at her stutter. He had heard her speak without it before, and it was much more pleasant to listen to.

"Yes, Hinata-sama?" he asked. He patiently waited for a response, listening to her soft breathing.

"A-a sign of blood, even if it does not threaten your life, is never a good thing. You k-know that..." she finally answered, lifting her eyes up.

"Please do not worry about that, I'll take care of it," he said, trying to muster a reassuring smile for her.

To his surprise, she let out a tiny chuckle. "Oh, no, you won't, Neji-kun. You'll probably just wrap a towel around it five minutes before you go to bed," she said in between soft giggles.

Neji wasn't sure how to answer. Yes, he was usually very exhausted after training, and would tell himself to take care of any cuts in the morning. How could he deny this?

When Hinata didn't hear Neji's response, she retreated back to her stuttering. "T-that is...um... I-I want t-to make sure that y-you'll be perfectly healed by the time you have to go on a m-mission or... t-training..." she squeaked.

Neji, slightly taken aback, smiled. Knowing that she was worried about him made something flutter in his chest. He opened his mouth to say something, but realized that she was already speaking.

"So... if you wish... I would be h-happy to take care of it f-for you..." she offered shyly, gripping her hands behind her back.

Neji knew he wasn't too keen on the idea of letting someone else take care of him, but this wasn't just someone. This was Hinata. He knew that if he declined, she would be very sad. And that was the last thing he wanted to do to her.

The corners of Neji's lips turned up slightly. "Sure, that'd be great," he said politely. Hinata gasped softly and stared at him with shining eyes.

He had said yes...

"Oh, Neji-kun, thank you! I'll do my best!" she exclaimed, rushing to the compartment in the corner of the room which held bandages, antiseptic, and sterilized wipes. She gathered them in her arms and rushed eagerly to Neji's side. He tried to hide his bemused expression.

"Okay, I'll just... ah... roll up your sleeve there..." she said, as though asking Neji's permission. He held out his arm for her to work freely. She ignored the fluttering pang she got in her stomach as her hands touched his warm skin. She gently folded Neji's sleeve up to his shoulder and grabbed a wipe.

"This might hurt a little..." she warned, holding the wipe up.

"It's fine," he answered calmly. Hinata nodded and started dabbing at the cut, wiping away the excess blood. Neji cringed in pain, but continued to sit straight-backed and unmoving. When most of the blood was gone, Hinata tossed the dirty napkin away and lifted her hands to the cloth he always wore on his arm. Standing directly in front of him, she tried to remove the wrappings as neatly as she could without touching Neji's wound. She frowned in frustration as the wrappings refused to become undone.

"Difficult, right?" Neji asked her. She let her hands retreat to her sides and nodded, embarrassed that she couldn't do her job properly.

"You don't have to stand so far away. It'll make the job a lot easier if you're right here," he explained, trying to make her feel more confident. "Sometimes it's difficult for me, too."

"Oh... okay," she whispered. She inched toward him until her legs banged against the bench. She leaned into him, careful not to press against his wound, and steadied herself on her knee, which rested on the bench in between his legs. His good arm circled around her, though not touching her, in case she were to fall over from embarrassment.

Hinata gasped slightly as her whole body was suddenly greeted with Neji's warmth. If she looked to the left, she would be able to see the side of his head and back. Hinata raised her arm to caress Neji's soft, gleaming, ivory cheek...

_No!!_

Hinata jerked her hand away. She had a job to do! She had to repair Neji's arm and manage not to make a fool of herself. She took a few deep breaths and turned her full attention to his arm.

From here, she could spot the fold that would cause the wrappings to separate. She wound them around her hand as she took them off Neji's arm. When his arm was completely bare, she placed the wrappings aside, grabbed the antiseptic, and squeezed a glob onto her hand.

"Okay... this will also hurt," she said, turning her head slightly toward him. He nodded briskly. However much it hurt, he would make sure to keep it to himself.

Hinata slowly reached out toward Neji's cut. She swiped a bit of the disinfectant with her index finger and prepared to rub it against the wound. However, the second the stinging ointment touching his skin, he yelped in pain.

"_Argh!_" he screamed, shocked at how much it hurt. He flinched and grabbed onto Hinata's waist. She was pulled in and completely pressed against his chest. She, too, yelped, but in surprise. Her legs gave out and she fell into Neji's lap.

Then there was silence.

Hinata, ear pressed against his chest, felt Neji's fast heartbeat growing slower as the shock of the stinging wore off. She felt Neji's arm still firmly holding her waist and felt her face heat up. She didn't dare look up to see his expression.

Neji's pain subsided and his eyes trailed down to where he was holding Hinata, where she was leaning into his chest, where she was resting on his legs. He could smell her jasmine-scented shampoo from where her hair was pressed against his chin. He suddenly felt a slight burning against his chest plate and knew Hinata must be blushing like never before. The whole situation was awkward enough for him, he could only image how she was feeling.

And yet, he didn't let go.

He knew that, while embarrassing to be so close to her, he liked it. He had a feeling that she did, too.

_I'll have to apologize for this later_, he thought with a shy smile. _Or maybe I shouldn't mention this ever again. Poor Hinata-chan would probably faint on the spot._

Neji fought the urge to chuckle.

_I bet she would still be blushing, even unconscious. Hmm... but then I'd have to carry her to her room. Again. I wonder if she'd be blushing at me carrying her while she was out cold. I was blushing too badly to look last time. _

Neji's silver eyes traveled down to the top of Hinata's head.

_That girl has such an adorable blush. She seems to be doing that a lot lately. Like now. I wonder how she looks...?_

Neji could see her blush creeping down her neck and felt his insides squirming. He just _had_ to see her face. He couldn't resist seeing those pink cheeks.

"Oh!" Hinata gasped as she was tilted backwards until she was laying in Neji's arms and lap. She looked up to see Neji looking and smiling at her face.

_Do I... have something on my face?! Oh, no, he's grinning at me... now he's laughing! Oh, dear god, do I look that funny?!_

"Neji-kun..." Hinata whispered as a single finger brushed over her burning cheek.

"You're so cute," he said, chuckling as he indulged himself in her bright pink blush.

Hinata wondered why she wasn't unconscious by now. Maybe she had waited too long to miss this moment? The day he held her in his arms, and called her cute.

"N... Neji-kun..." Hinata said, spelling out every syllable of his name. She giggled and brought a hand to her cheek, touching his. Neji's laughs softened as he looked directly into her pearly eyes. Hinata continued to smile as his nose gently touched her's. They both gasped under their breath. Hinata's eyes began to lose focus. The dark brown of his hair, silver of his eyes, and ivory of his skin mingled together with... red?

"Oh, Neji-kun!" Hinata exclaimed, her eyes snapping back to reality. Blood was beginning to seep out of his cut again. Neji turned his attention to it and frowned. He let go of Hinata and she slid off his legs, feet finding the ground again.

She swallowed her disappointment and rushed to his arm once again. She starting dabbing the cut like before. Neji's warmth still lingered on her skin, and she fought the urge to sigh. Although right now they were also quite close, she was already missing the feeling of his arms around her, and his nose touching her's.

"Hah... I suppose I hadn't applied enough antiseptic before," Hinata said with a forced smile. Although she looked fine, Neji saw that she couldn't meet his eyes. He didn't say anything as she carefully cleaned and bandaged his wound.

"Okay, I'm finished," she announced quietly. Neji smiled at her and looked at her work. While his gaze was elsewhere, Hinata was smiling a determined smile.

_Now that he's finally noticed me up close, I don't want to simply leave without a word or action of recognition. _

"Neji-kun," she said, placing her hands below his bandage. Neji looked at her, as she leaned downward to his arm. She placed a soft kiss on his newly-bandaged cut and his eyes widened. Her warm breath lingered on his arm as she raised her head back up.

"Hinata-sama..." Neji breathed, staring at her. Although Hinata was smiling back at him, she inwardly wondered if she should be ashamed. Had she violated him?

Too her surprise, Neji's eyes and smile warmed. He closed his eyes, dark eye lashes grazing his cheek. Hinata fought the urge to cry as he leaned forward on his seat and lay a gently kiss on her cheek. Unlike her kiss, his was longer and less ghostly. His lips pulled back in a sly smile as his face left her's.

"A reward," he said "for your courage."

Neji grinned at her soft pink tinge and smile. He had been surprised at first, her coming in and offering her help. He had been even more surprised when she let herself be embraced by Neji, and still have enough nerve to finish her job. By the time she had kissed him, he was already happy and proud of her.

"Oh, Neji-kun!" Hinata exclaimed, falling into Neji's open arms. She buried her head in his shoulder.

"Hinata-sama?" he asked. Okay, this surprised him.

"Hinata-sama, Hinata-sama?!" Neji called for her, gently shaking her still figure. He turned her head, and saw her eyes closed.

_Dear god, she's fainted. _

Neji smiled, bemused, and balanced her sleeping figure in his arms. He rested her hanging head on his shoulder and quietly walked out of the changing room, heading toward her room.

_That's enough for one night._


End file.
